Sealed metal container



March 1 1927.

H. A. FINK SEALED MET'AL CONTAINER Filed Aug. 16, 1923 Patented Mar. 1,1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. FINK, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T CONTINENTAL CAN COM-PANY, INC., 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SEALED METAL CONTAINER.

Application filed August 16, 1923. Serial N'o. 657,725.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sealed metalcontainers, and more particularly to a metal container which may bereadily opened by breaking i the sealing means therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide a container of the above typewherein a flange on one of the closing ends and a flange on the bodyportion of the container are held in sealed contact, one with the other,by an endless integral sealing ring which overlies the flange on thecontainer end and extends around underneath the flange on the bodyportion of the container, which sealing ring is provided with anintegral inwardly extending breaking member, which breaking member isprovided with means to receive an implement adapted to rest and turn onthe shouldered edge of o the container as a fulcrum for raising saidbreaking member and thus straining the metal of the sealing ring in linewith the side edges of the breaking member for rupturing the sealingring and releasing the end :5 from the container body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sealing ring having abreaking member for the purpose above described, wherein said breakingmember has an opening extending therethrough back from the edges of thebreaking member so that the pry on the metal through the implementextending through the opening will cause the ring to be ruptured in linewith the side edges of the breaking member, rather than from the openingto the margin of the breaking member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for startingthe rupturing of the sealing ring along lines extending across the sameand in line with the side edges of the breaking member.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part behereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of theinvention:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of an end of a container embodying theimprovements;

Fig. 2 is a similar View, but showing the implement for opening thecontainer inserted in the opening in the breaking strip prearatory tothe turning of said breaking strip for the rupturing of the integralring;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line XX of Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4 is a similar view on theline 4-4, but showing the breaking striplifted a sufficient distance to have ruptured the metal in the sealingring extending along the inner vertical wall of the depression in thecontainer end; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the breaking memberraised to a point where the metal extending across the flange of thecontainer end has been ruptured.

The invention is directed broadly to a metal container which ispreferably cylindrical and wherein the body portion is provided with anoutwardly extending flange. One end of said container body is closed byan end having a central depression which is adapted to frictionallyengage the inner surface of the wall of the container body and a flangewhich is ada ted to overlie the flange on the container ody.

The end is held on the container body by an endless integral sealingring which is formed with an imperforate portion overlying the flange onthe end and an imperforate portion extending around underneath theflange on the can body. This ring, when placed on the container, drawsthe end into sealed contact with the container body. The ring has anintegral inwardly extending breaking member at its inner edge. Saidbreaking member is formed with a hole therethrough which is set backsome distance from the edge of the breaking member. This hole throughthe breaking member is so disposed that an implement, such as a knife,fork or even a lead pencil, can be forced through the opening and, whileresting on the shouldered edge of the container, used for prying up thebreaking member and for causing said breaking member to operate as alever which is, in effect, a part of the opening tool, which lever willrupture the metal in line with the side edges of the breaking member.This causes the integral ring to be ruptured and release said ring fromthe container, after which the end may be removed; This end frictionallyengages the container body and can, of course, be readily applied as acover to the container body for re-closing the same.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the improved metal containerconsists of a body portion 1 having a flange 2 at the end thereof. Oneend of the container is closed by means of an end 3 which is formed witha central depression, which provides a vertical wall 4 adapted tofrictionally engage the inside wall of the container. Said end also hasa flange 5 which overlies the flange on the container body. Between thetwo flanges 2 and 5, I prefer to apply a sealing material, or a gasket,or some suitable means for aiding in sealing the container when the endis applied thereto. The sealing material has been indicated in thedrawings by the heavy line 5.

The end is secured to the container body by means of an endless integralsealing ring 6. Said sealing ring 6 is provided with an imperforateportion 7 which lies directly above the flange on the end and a portion8 which extends over into the depression in the end. As shown in thedrawings, I have bent this portion 8 of the sealing ring downwardly soas to fit the vertical wall 4 and thence inwardly as at 9. It will beunderstood, of course, that these parts extending over the depressionmay be otherwise shaped.

The sealing ring is preferably provided with a downwardly extendingportion 10 before the ring is placed upon the container. The end isseated in the container, the sealing ring placed thereon, and then thelower portion of the depending part 10 is forced underneath the flangeon the body of the container, as indicated at 11. This is preferablydone by a spinning tool which will cause this portion 11 to conform tothe under surface of the flange on the container body throughout itsentire circular extent.

It is ditficult to hold two pieces of metal in sealed contact, by thebending or folding of a metal part about the same, even when sealingmaterial is placed between the contacting parts. By using an endlessintegral sealin ring having an imperforate portion place about theflanges as above described, I am able to secure sufiicient pressure atall points between the contacting faces as to produce a tight seal whichwill stand up under vacuum or pressure.

As a means for opening the can, I have provided a breaking member whichis so constructed and arranged that by a suitable prying and leverageaction, said strip may be torn across. As shown in the drawings, thismeans consists of a breaking member 12 which is formed integral with theinner edge of the sealing ring. Said breaking member, as shown in Figs.1 and 2, is of considerable width and extends to a certain distancetoward the center of the can. Said breaking member is provided with anopening therethrough as indicated at 13. This opening, as shown, iselongated, although it may be otherwise shaped. I have shown itelongated so that a knife or fork can be infar to permit of the easyraising of the breaking member and, in a sense, to insure the startingof the rupturing of the metal of the sealing ring along the line of theside edges of the breaking member.

In order to open the can, the implement is put through the opening inthe breaking member, and it is lifted as indicated in Fig. 3 until theimplement is well through the opening so that it will not slip out. Theimplement is then laid against the shouldered edgeof the container whichoperates as a rest and fulcrum for the prying up of the breaking member.The opening implement is indicated at 17 in the drawings, and, as shown,is in the form of a knife. As the opening implement is forced 'down, itturns on the shouldered part of the container as a fulcrum and, in asense, becomes an extension of the breaking member, forming of saidbreaking member a lever. As the openin implement is forced down to theposition s iown in Fig. 4, it will be noted that the metal in theportion 8 of the sealing ring is torn across in line with the side edgesof the breaking member.

Referring .to Fig. 4, the metal of the sealin ring was cut from thepoint a to the point I), and the turning down on the opening implementhas torn or ruptured the metal from the point 6 to the point a. Afurther bending down on the opening implement will cause the metal to betorn or in tured from the point a to the point (1. T e

metal is now so far torn across in the sealing;

ring, that a slight turning of the breaking member by the implement 17willcause it to rupture the rest of the way across, and the portion ofthe sealing rin lying between the side edges of the breaking member willbe torn out. After this much of the sealing ring has been torn out, thesealing ring can be removed from the container and the end easily priedoil. The end can be applied as a friction top cover to reclose *thecontainer.

One of the essential features of my invention, is the integral breakingmember which is so formed and disposed that an implement may be attachedthereto which will turn 'said breaking member into a lever for rupturingthe metal in line with the side edges of the breaking member. I believeit is also desirengages the inwardly extending flange 9 at the loweredge of the vertical wall on the sealing ring, and this holds thesealing ring firmly in place, while it is drawn around the flanges andthe flanges drawn into tight sealingcontact.

While I have described the invention as' applied to the closing of oneend of a cylindrical can body during the manufacture of the container,it will be understood that from certain aspects of the invention itssealing end could be applied by the packer. Furthermore, it is also tobe understood that this sealed closure end may not necessarily beapplied to the open end of the can body, but may be used in connectionwith the closing of any flanged opening'of a metal contamer. v

It is also obvious that minor changes in the details of construction andthe arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention a set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

A sealed metal container comprising a body portion having an outwardlyextending flange, an end havmg a centrally dispose portion adapted toextend into and frictionally engage the inner surface of the Wall of thecontainer body, a flange overlying the flange on the body portion,anendless sealing ring having an imperforate portion overlyingthe. endflange, said sealing ring having a vertical wall at its. inner edgeextending into the central depression in the end, a substantiallyhorizontal inwardly projectingportion at the lower end of said verticalwall, an integral breaking member extending inwardly from saidhprizontal'portion at the lower edge of the vertical wall, saidhorizontal portion of the sealing ring at the lower edge of the verticalwall being formed with slits in line with the side edges of the breakingmember, said breaking member having means whereby the same may be raisedand pried upon for breaking the sealing ring, said sealing ring havingan imperforate portion extending down over the edges of the two flangesand underneath the flange on the bodv portion of the container,

said portion of the sealing ring beneath the body flange being shapedvertically and horizontally to conform to the under surface of saidflange whereby said sealing ring may be applied to the container andbumped into close contact with the flanges thereof, so that saidcontainer may be tightly sealed, said flanges having a sealing material(placed therebetween prior to the. applying of the sealing ring to thecontainer.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HENRY A. FINK.

